2006-2007 Offseason Recap

The Flamingos' lineup has some punch to it, especially with Wright and Ten Wolde on the left side of the infield. But their pitching staff features too much inexperience and uncertainty. Expect the Flamingos at the bottom of the AC in team ERA, and probably at the bottom of the AC East as well.

The Hawks won 96 games last year but missed the playoffs. No more wins were added through acquisition, but a strong lineup featuring 4 time silver slugger Lee, plus a rotation that goes 5 deep with talent, should help keep the Hawks hovering around 90-95 wins again this year.

Philly is an up and comer on the pitching side, with the lowest average age in the UBA, but are experience and probably an arm or two short of being dangerous. Their lineup features aging stars Everett, Giambi, and Lee, but could make noise if healthy. Not replacing Castillo's void will prove costly, and the Brotherhood will finish the year around 500.

After a thrilling WCS win in 2006, the Champions look to get back to the playoffs this year with much of the same team that got them there, which features ARod and Chipper in the middle of their lineup, plus a young Miguel Cabrera knocking down the door for at bats. It will be exciting to see if Pittsburgh, Holbrook, or both will make the playoffs this year.

The patient fans in Gobbler's Knob could finally be in for a winning season, as the incredible pool of starting pitching they've drafted looks to be ready to compete, and their rotation looks very strong. Not replacing Aramis Ramirez's bat will be hard to overcome, but Pujols is back and looking like himself after missing all of 2006 with injury.

Although not making any waves in the offseason, the Voodoo are still stacked on both sides of the ball. Haren is a top 3 pitcher of the year lock should he stay healthy, and 5 tool star SS Valdez will help carry a strong offense. The Turkeys are coming, but the Voodoo are still kings of the AC Central.

Oswalt, Shields, Ageda and Guerrero provide some star power, but the team's depth thins substantially after that. Omaha needed to make moves this offseason if they wanted to keep pace this year.

C-

San Antonio Armadillos

RF Brian Giles, SP Jorge Rivera, RP Steve Woodard

1B Jose Cruz, RF Nelson Cruz

The Cruz brothers will add a lot of stability and power to this lineup, but this team is going to wait until top prospects Latos and Samardzija are ready for the show before they push all in.

B+

Cardiff Bay Barrage

RF Brady Clark, CF Jay Payton, CF Antonio Aviles, 2B Orlando Perez

3B Scott Rolen, RF Cody Ross, SP Tim Hudson

Rumor in camp was that superstar Rodriguez might be shifted to the outfield as his legs can't manage the range needed at SS. Either way, Cardiff Bay doesn't have the arms to go deep into the summer competing against Yellowknife and Portland, and will probably fall in the 70-80 win window.

Portland had a relatively quiet offseason, but has positioned themselves well with a younger more versatile core than they've had over the past few years, and will challenge Yellowknife down the stretch.

The Targaryens shed some dead weight this offseason, but still sport one of the best lineups in baseball with Valadez and Mauer, and have a shut down bullpen that goes very deep. Plans to go to the pen early and often, in addition to a 6-man rotation, will be an interesting strategy to track, but should keep the starting rotation fresh for down the stretch when they can punch the gas and cross the finish line at top speed.

The expansion Bandits played it safe during the expansion draft, avoiding veterans and large contracts. In turn, they had the resources to land one big free agent in Aramis Ramirez and a few others to supplement. No expansion team has high hopes, but the Bandits should have a respectable inaugural season.

The Whitefish have a talented lineup, even after allowing Belliard to leave via expansion. Their pitching isn't as strong as it once was, and not enough moves were made here to keep Coney Island in contention down the stretch this season. Look for another 83 win season in 2007.

More big moves for NYC this offseason, namely extending Broadway, and trading #1 prospect away for Maine, which drastically improved an already scary rotation. The Baseball Club is a team with few holes, should hit the 100+ win mark and is an early favorite to emerge from the RC once again.

The Titans are nearing bottom of their rebuild; but will need to add even more depth to their prospect pool with this year's draft and through trades if they want to be able to compete with NYC in the next few years.

C-

Dallas Daredevils

1B Ken Harvey, 1B Jim Thome, C Brandon Harper, SP Cliff Lee

C Mike Sweeney, RP Marlyn Tisdale

The Daredevil rotation will be as good as any in baseball if top prospect Max Scherzer can live up to his billing in his first full season in the bigs. The RC Central is still ultra competitive, but Dallas looks to be the team to beat again for the title.

Moving Maine will be looked at as a risky play, but the Landsharks felt comfortable with the talent they had lined up for their rotation without him, and have now taken their lineup to the next level with the addition of Morillo. The Landsharks snagged some good depth this offseason as well, and will make a strong play for the wild card and division title.

A

Fargo Rage

RP Randy Flores, C David Ross, LF Alex Sanchez, CF Luis Matos

1B Carlos Pena

The Rage have a better than average rotation, but probably needed to add more than Pena to keep pace with Dallas and Eden Prairie. But we've seen them play their division strong, and should be a tough team to beat in 2007.

Toledo is a team stuck in the middle, and playing in the RC Central doesn't help. They have a well balanced offense and a strong bullpen but don't have a strong enough rotation to get enough leads. They will outplay their 63 wins last year, but look for them to stay below 500.

Hollywood had a quietly successful offseason, led by the acquisition of Cruz to lead their rotation. Beltre and Ramirez will continue to wreck havoc together, and the Stars are the favorite to pick up another division title in the weaker RC West.

The Ducks have finally moved on from Giambi, and came to camp with a lot of new faces. Their rotation is solid and they can boast the 4th best minor league system. But their lineup lost too many pieces and will not be able to put enough runs on the board in 2007.

The Firebirds hit the bottom and are now beginning to climb back up, but have years to go. Another year of Butler and Upton should help build a good foundation, but they won't hit their stride as a team until McCutchen and Goldshmidt reach the show.

The Spartans opened their wallets during the inaugural draft snagging proven veterans Belliard, Arroyo, Valdez, and Floyd. But they're still an expansion team, and no where deep enough to compete any time soon. Look for them to top out around 75 wins.

Although missing a couple pieces from last season's team, the Steelheads could be hitting their stride in 2007. Their rotation has a lot of talent and depth, and their lineup will be strong if and when top prospect Jay Bruce reaches his potential. Seattle could take the division from Hollywood, but will more likely end a few games short.

Team Key Departures Key Acquisitions Summary Grade Holbrook Hawks SS Kurt Abbott, 2B Jose Vidro None The Hawks have three aces entering their prime, a couple waiting in the wings, and an elite hitting Carlos Lee to lead the charge back to defend their ’03 championship. As long as the bats around Lee can help […]